How to Make Text Book Cover Out of Paper Bags

Use clean grocery bags to cover textbooks.

On the day teachers hand out school textbooks, they often ask children to cover them as a homework assignment. The school supply section of retail stores sells fabric covers, but they are expensive, especially if you need covers for multiple books. You can instead make a book cover from the brown paper bags you bring your school supplies home in.

Things You'll Need

• Brown paper bag
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pen

Instructions

1. Cut the bag open along one side. Cut the bottom off the bag. You should have a rectangle of brown paper.

2. Lay the paper blank side down on a table. Center your open book on the bag with the cover facing down. Draw around the cover of the book. Draw lines 1 inch from the top edge of the book and the bottom edge of the book. Draw a line 3 inches from each of the side edges of the book.

3. Cut out the large rectangle you drew. Fold the paper down 1 inch from the top and bottom along the lines you drew earlier. Crease these folds, then fold the sides of the rectangle in 3 inches from each side along the lines you drew earlier. You will have an rectangle of paper the size of your book's cover.

4. Open your book and lay it on the cover. Slide the front cover of the book into the pocket on the left side of the paper cover.

   Slide the back cover of the book into the pocket on the right side of the paper cover. You will have to fold the cover back slightly to do this. Close the book.

5. Write the title of the book and your name on the front of the paper cover. Write the title of the book on the spine of the paper cover.

Tips & Warnings

• The blank brown paper is a great "blank canvas" for decorations such as stickers and drawings.

• Avoid using markers on the cover. The ink might bleed through and stain the book.

References

• Crafting a Green World: Brown Paper Bag Book Cover